Sunderland urged to seal Alexandre Mendy deal with Jay Stansfield and Miovski touted | OneFootball

Sunderland have been told to sign Alexandre Mendy, but the likes of Karlan Grant and Jay Stansfield could be potential alternatives

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Bolstering the top-end of the pitch remains a crucial core of duty for Sunderland if they are to improve on last season's disappointing 16th-placed finish.

The Black Cats now find themselves under the fresh tuition of French boss Regis Le Bris, who boasts a respectable track record on the continent and will be tasked with firing Sunderland back towards potential top-six contention.

Star winger Jack Clarke continued to impress at the Stadium of Light in the previous campaign by weighing in with no less than 15 strikes, though none of Sunderland's strikers scored more than twice from league action and they're yet to recruit additional impetus in that area of the pitch ahead of Saturday's curtain-raiser away at Cardiff City.

Sunderland potential strikers outlined

Supporters are understandably champing at the bit to see the arrival of a striker or two before the window slams shut at the end of the month, with Caen's Alexandre Mendy having been continually linked with a move to Wearside across the summer.

As such, our Sunderland fan pundit Travis Martin has declared Mendy as the striker he'd most like to see turning out in red and white next term although the likes of Jay Stansfield, Bojan Miovski and Karlan Grant have also been namechecked as potential alternative targets.

"Alexandre Mendy is a recognised prolific goalscorer in Ligue 2 for a prolonged period of time, which Sunderland haven't had in the Championship," Travis explained to Football League World.

"Not only that but he's experienced, at 30 he's at the peak of his powers. Sunderland of course lack experience, getting another old name in would be fantastic for the dressing room as well.

"You wonder though with the way he's behaving at Caen [Mendy recently released a statement pleading Caen to allow him to leave the club] , whether that would potentially transpire in the future at Sunderland if he didn't get his own way in leaving the club. That would only have to be seen, but he'd be a good, viable option - his quality mainly being scoring goals time and time again over three seasons.

"A little bit left-field, strikers we haven't been reported with but I'd love to see in a Sunderland shirt - the first one is Jay Stansfield.

"I understand this is quite unlikely given the interest from Birmingham and his relationship there over the last season, but he has a lot of qualities to work in a Sunderland system. When it's at its best, it flows really well, counter-attacking, the wingers create a lot of chances for those infront of them.

"He would benefit greatly from that, in the teams he's been prolific in Exeter and Birmingham, neither of those teams have created a vast amount of chances in those seasons but he's managed to score goals in both instances. I think we'd be a perfect match for him, but I don't think it's realistic.

"Bojan Miovski at Aberdeen as well, he's extremely prolific but will that translate from the Scottish top-flight to the Championship? Potentially not, but I think he'd be a very viable option. Again, it would mean Sunderland would have to spend some money.

"Beyond that, it would have to depend on what was available on the loan market in the Premier League. I suppose we can only really decide who we can get and perhaps what we're waiting for is the Premier League clubs to decide who they want to let go out on loan.

"I think also Karlan Grant but you've got to always have an issue when his underlying numbers at Cardiff were really bad. I think Grant would offer something and West Brom would also be willing to sell him. It's likely he wouldn't be the number one choice at West Brom up front that may be a viable option for Sunderland, I'm not sure that would go down particularly well.

"They're the ones I'd want most, but I really like the fact Mendy is prolific, has three strong seasons in Ligue 2 and wants to be at the club and that would sway me to him.

"Whether it'll go through is a different kettle of fish but I'd love to see Mendy as Sunderland's number nine."

Sunderland need more than one striker

All the names reeled off by Travis bring various potential benefits to the table, and Mendy perhaps is indeed the pick of the bunch - at least on a short-term basis.

Sunderland surely won't neglect to sign a striker in the coming weeks, but they could well need at least two given how short of options they are - and the scarce contribution from said options, too.

Luis Hemir and Eliezer Mayenda are both young and Sunderland may be hesitant about blocking their respective first-team pathways, but the reality is that neither are at the level yet and they'd benefit greatly feom loan moves elsewhere, while Nazariy Rusyn simply hasn't delivered following his arrival from Zorya last summer.

The worry is that if Sunderland could end up making an impressive isolated signing such as Mendy, or even the strikers listed by Travis, but could then end up losing the player through injury and having to place trust in a batch of fringe options who can't be relied on just yet. If they're serious about 24/25 improvement, they can't allow that scenario to happen.